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Percy was sent on a quest to find the golden Fleece in the Mediterranean Sea when suddenly his ship was caught in a storm.
All he remembered was Annabeth calling his name before he thrown away into the sea.
Percy awoke with a start, shivering and gasping for air. His eyes darted around in panic, still trying to understand where he was. After a moment, he realized that he was no longer on his ship, but underwater. As his vision cleared, he realized that he was surrounded by an underwater landscape, filled with exotic creatures and plants. Then he heard a voice.
"Man overboard!" Someone yelled and when Percy looked up, he saw a ship, flying a black flag. A pirate ship, he thinks, there's still pirates these days?
The pirate ship swerved sharply, bringing its side next to where Percy was treading water. In one swift motion, a rope was thrown over the side and several hands grasped Percy, helping him climb up the side of the ship. As his feet met the deck, Percy saw a group of pirates in front of him, gazing at him with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
What catches his eyes is Poseidon, his father, in a pirate clothes. His father looks younger with longer hair. "Dad? What are you doing here? Why are you cosplaying yourself as... a pirate?"
Percy heard the crew gasp, he didn't understand, his father already claimed him, why are they still suprise?
The man next to his father was saying something. "You have a son, captain?"
And at that his father face turned into a scowl. "No." He answered.
The man next to his father frown. "Are you sure, captain? He looks like you."
"No, he doesn't." His scowl deepen.
"Wait a minute, captain? You're the captain?" Percy asked.
"Yes, I am the captain." The man responded, his eyes narrowing into a scowl as he looked at Percy "And you are...?"
"Percy Jackson." He couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance between the pirate captain and Poseidon, his father. Was this some kind of ruse to test his loyalty or something?
"Um, if you don't mind me asking," he said cautiously, "why do you look so much like Poseidon? I mean, obviously, you're not my dad, so... who are you?"
Percy knows it's not Poseidon even though the man did resembled him. It's not Poseidon because Poseidon always looked at him with kind and warm eyes. This man looked at him with such a cold eyes.
The pirate captain glared at Percy, seeming to study his face for a moment before answering. "I'm captain Flint." Captain Flint scoffed. "Mr. Gates, bring him to my cabin, perhaps he's feeling sick after days in the sea."
The man next to captain Flint-- Mr. Gates-- only nods when captain Flint started to walk away. He stopped then and said, "And bring Dr. Howell as well."
James couldn't deny that the kid who's sitting in his cabin resembled him a bit. He frowned. He never had sex with anyone else besides Miranda and Thomas. So, he couldn't be James' and Miranda's child because he always wear protection. He couldn't be Thomas' and Miranda's child either because as far as he knows Miranda never got pregnant with Thomas. And he couldn't be James' and Thomas' child because neither of them could get pregnant. Although, his hair matched with Thomas'.
James stared at Percy, wondering how this kid could think he was Poseidon. And didn't the kid implicate that Poseidon is his father? Insane. This kid is insane.
He watched as Dr. Howell examined Percy carefully, looking over his body and checking for any injuries. After a few minutes, Dr. Howell spoke.
"Captain, my examination indicates no physical injuries. The boy seems to be reasonably healthy. However, I'd recommend observation and evaluation to ensure his mental and physical well-beings."
James only nods and Dr. Howell left the cabin.
Percy sat there, still wondering what happened and why his father turned into a pirate captain.
Gods, captain Flint looks so scary, if looks could kill he would be dead by now, Percy thinks.
Captain Flint scowled sharply, his eyes narrow slightly. His gaze settles on the boy in front of him. "So, you believe in this greek mythology nonsense, huh?" He speaks sternly, his voice dripping with disdain for the topic.
"Yes, I do." Percy replies, refusing to be intimidated by the pirate's harsh tones. "My father is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea,"
Captain Flint sighs, clearly annoyed by the boy's insistence that he is the son of Poseidon. "You must be delusional, or brainwashed, or... I don't know, something." He scowls, leaning back in his chair and watching the boy like a hawk. "Enough of this nonsense," he said. "You're not the son of any mythological god. Now, explain to me how you ended up on my ship."
Percy frown, trying to remember what happened. "I was on a quest with my friend, Annabeth. And then there was storm and I got thrown overboard." Percy shrugged. "That's all I could remember."
Captain Flint is silent for a moment, staring at Percy with a hard squint. "And you think I am this... Poseidon?" He asks, a hint of disgust in his voice.
Percy meets the pirate's gaze, not backing down from the challenge. "Yes, I do."
Captain Flint scoffs. "You are delusional, boy. It's ridiculous to believe in fairy tales of a fictional ocean god."
"He's not fictional. And neither are any of Greek stories you've heard." Percy insisted. After all, he's very very stubborn.
"Tell me what happened to Odysseus then." The captain said sternly, still watching him like a hawk. "Did he really get a happy ending?"
"I don't really remember his story," Percy said. Sally used to tell him about Greek mythology for his bedtime story but the only story he remembered was Perseus. "But I know he had a happy ending."
Captain Flint raised both of his eyebrows, he looked shocked or intrigued Percy couldn't tell. And was that a flicker of smile?
"Odysseus, on his journey home to Ithaca, was visited by a ghost. The ghost tells him that once he reaches his home, once he slays all his enemies and sets his house in order, he must do one last thing before he can rest."
Percy listened to captain Flint while Flint still staring at Percy like a hawk. As if Percy might leave as soon as he blinked.
"The ghost tells him to pick up an oar and walk inland, and keep walking until somebody mistakes that oar for a shovel, for that would be the place that no man had ever been troubled by the sea. And that’s where he’d find peace. In the end, that’s all I want."
Percy only nod, he didn't know what to say. He didn't want to say something wrong.
"I suppose the next question is, do you want to stay here?"
Percy blinked. He thinks of his mom, Annabeth and their quest, he thinks of Grover. And then he shook his head, "No, I need to get back to Annabeth."
Captain Flint only nod, "Alright, but you have to stay with us until we reached Nassau."
"Nassau?" Percy asked. The name sounds familiar. And then he remembered. "What year is it?"
"1715." He answered, curious look on his face.
"Fuck!" Percy muttered. Did he just time travel? If Greek mythology turned out to be true then there's a chance that time travel is real, he thinks.
"What's wrong?" The captain asked and a wave of concern passes over Flint and he looks at Percy with a questioning look.
"Umm, it's just..." Percy stammers, and then he pauses. He doesn't know how to explain about time travel. "Nothing." He decided to say.
The captain looked at him in disbelief and then shook his head while walking out of the cabin. "I'll call Dr. Howell to check you. Again."
The kid is definitely insane, James thinks.
James walked out to faced with curious crews. Gates walked closer to him and raised his eyebrows, "Well? Is he your son?"
He glanced at Gates then scowled. "No." And he turned to the crew and yelled, "Fuck off you lot. Do your fucking job!"
The first thing Percy remembered when he woke up are he was on a ship with the captain who looked exactly like Poseidon and then there was storm.
Percy groaned. His body feels like he's been through hell. He lie down for few minutes before he finally noticed his hand holding an oar.
Percy finally got up from his position and looked around him. There's no one. Not even a sight of a ship. And no captain Flint and his crews.
He looked down again to see the oar he was holding. He furrowed his eyebrows. He remembered the story of Odysseus told by captain Flint.
Percy started to walk, he didn't know where he's heading but still he walked until his feet hurt.
He didn't know how long he had been walking when he tripped on a rock.
Percy woke up with a start. Someone is shaking his body. And the first thing he heard is, "C'mon, wake up, seaweed brain."
He smiled. He's back with Annabeth again.
